Utsukushii Melody
by Dizzy-Kiske
Summary: What really happened before the War? Chapter 07. - The Blind Village Girl
1. The Past

1.** Just A Memory - **_Did it ever happen?_

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_The sun shined brightly behind the tall trees in the never-ending forest. Anyone would stop just to look at the clear blue sky or notice the cool shade under each and every tree. As did a little boy who seemed to be lost... _

_Little Ky looked around him and saw nothing but trees behind him and in front of him. No large building nor any plain field was in sight. The boy sighed and thought that there was no hope. As he sat down under a shady tree, he heard a ringing type of sound. Though it was not annoying like a school bell or the doorbell of a house, it had it's own sweet melody. A melody so sweet, that the boy searched from where such a sound came from. Soon he came to a clearing as small shrubs lay limp before him. He hid behind one that was his own height as he peeked through the small branches. As he moved them away, he say a little blue-haired girl wearing a short white dress. She looked very cute in Ky's eyes and he could not take his eyes off her. The little girl was staring at a small white box with a pink lace that looked like the ribbon on a gift. Of course! It was a music box! That's where the sound came from! The little girl hummed the sweet tune as the figures on the music box twirled slowly. The figures were of a girl wearing a dress dancing with a boy. They looked very delicate and well-painted. The girl stood up and danced along with the music. Just before the song was about to end, Ky's little hand slipped on the branch and caused him to disturb the girl. The girl stopped and stared at the blonde boy in front of her._

_"...Sorry...I didn't mean to..." Ky wiped off some mud on his shirt and looked back at the girl. _

_"That's okay! Are you okay?" The cute little girl helped Ky get up. They looked into each other's eyes._

_"Um.. yeah! I'm okay! An' you? I didn't mean to.. to... scare you," Ky shyly replied._

_"Do you wanna to see my music box?" the girl sweetly asked._

_Ky blushed and nodded his head. The girl removed the music box from a stump and handed it to Ky. Not knowing what to do with it, Ky opened the bow and at the moment he did, the figures began twirling and the music started again._

_"It pretty. Is it a toy?" Ky interestedly asked._

_"It is pretty rite?" smiled the little girl. Ky blushed as the girl rewinded the music box with a key-shaped necklace. As soon as she did, the music played again and the figures danced._

_"Do you wanna dance wif me?" the little girl smiled. Ky also smiled and took her little hands and moved the same way the figures did. They two danced for hours until it was finally sunset. The tired kids lied down on the green grass and watched the sun set as fireflies began to appear. Then a rustling in the bushes interrupted the moment. Another little girl with brown hair appeared. Her short hair was tied in a weird ponytail. Then another voice called in the distance._

_"KY! Where were you?" came an elderly man. Instantly, Ky stood up and looked down to the ground. The brunette girl signaled the little girl to leave, and the girl nodded her head. She walked up to Ky and smiled._

_"It was fun dancing wif you. I wouldn't wanna dance wif anyone else! Here... Keep fis," the little girl handed Ky the necklace with the musicbox key dangling on it. "I'll only dance wif you, and you only! Bye!" with these words, the two girls left. Ky looked at the golden key studded with a pink heart-shaped jewel in the middle._

_"Undersn-sama... who is that girl?" Ky said pointing to the two girls.Kliff squinted his old eyes and looked back at the boy._

_"That is Jam Kuradoberi. She works at her parents restaraunt near our area."_

_"Jam Kuradoberi..." said Ky with a deep pink blush on his cheeks..._

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Ky woke up from a "dream" as he gazed at the sky. It was already turning dark and the bright moon was visible up ahead.

"Whoa... How long was I asleep?" Ky stood up and walked to the building far away. As he entered the academy's doors, maids were running here and there and calling "Kiske-sama! Kiske-sama!"

Then Kliff, who was much older than in the dream, came up to him with an angry look on his face.

"There you are! It's 30 minutes past bedtime and you're still out here. This is the tenth time it's happened and!" the man coughed and grabbed Ky by the arm and dragged him upstairs. "the next time it happens, you'll be expelled from the Holy Order, understand young man?" Kliff harshly told him. Ky said nothing but nodded his head slowly.

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Later that night, Ky who wasn't very sleepy looked outside his window. A gentle breeze blew quietly through the willow trees. Ky was stupefied by the tranquil scenery as he was removing something from inside his collar. He pulled out a golden chain and held the key pendant that dangled from it.

"Jam Kuradoberi... Jam Kuradoberi..." he said whispering the little girl's name. He still remembered the little girl's soft blue hair and her gentle smile even if it was ten or more years ago.

"Maybe not now... but I'll find you again..." Ky said holding onto the pendant...

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**This is how I made the manga for "Meaning of Love". Right now, I'll just follow my original story. I'll be making newer stories next week so also watch out for "Koe no Ai" and "Nekko-Mimi-Kun"**

**I'm tired of typing! I'll try to update all my stories ASAP! Sorry for the long waits. **

**This story will pay it off, I'm sure!!! It'll make you cry. If you like this story so far... Ask for the sequel in the comments please!!! I'll be working really hard on the sequel.**

**Till then!**


	2. Element

2.** Lightning - **_Deity_

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Early in the morning, Ky hurriedly got ready for class. Unfortunately for him, his alarm didn't activate 20 minutes earlier.

"...why me..." Ky moaned. He was annoyed and tired. Probably so annoyed he couldn't even find words to shout out loud.

As soon as he gathered his books, Ky rushed downstairs and into his class. He ran even if maids were trying to prevent him. At the moment he got there, Undersn was already preparing wooden katanas used for practicing. Even if Ky tiptoed to his place, Undersn felt the slightest vibration that Ky made and turned to face his late pupil.

"You're late again, Kiske," Kliff groaned. He wore a look of disappointment and slight anger.

"Sorry sir... my... alarm... it broke.. I think..." Ky stuttered.

"I guess you can be excused. At least you're here," Kliff said. The aging teacher handed out the wooden katanas and began practice. Only wooden katanas were permitted at this time until tomorrow that is. Yes, all the trained knights were looking forward to Element Week. That's when the special element is unlocked in a knight, the element of a type of magic. Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth were mostly the basic types.

Later on, Ky went up to Kliff's office in order to chat a little. Kliff wasn't busy after class hours. He was probably recollecting his memories of his past dragon slaying days.

"Master Undersn?" Ky said walking into the room.

"Kiske? What are you doing here?" Kliff said calmly. It was as if he forgot all about Ky's misfortune earlier.

"Well... Tomorrow, is Element Week... but..." Ky's voice trailed off into momentary silence.

"But what, my boy?" Kliff asked.

"What if I don't have an element? Maybe I'm not meant to be a knight after all," Ky said with quite an honest look on his face.

"Every knight has an element, lad. As long as you train hard," replied Kliff. "Now tell me what are the elements you know?"

"Erm.. I did study..." Ky thought.

"Okay.. There's Fire, the element of destruction. Anyone who has the ability to wield fire, must be cautious in using it...

Then there's Water, the element of life. No one can live without it."

"Good so far... add more description," Kliff interupted.

"Wind, the element of freedom. Freedom because the wind is not tamed. Then there's Earth, the element of protection. The earth contains all beings and ensures protection," ended Ky.

"Bravo! But you forgot one more element," Kliff chuckled.

"What might it be, sir?" asked Ky. He reviewed all his life wondering which element he'd want to master. But there was one more element?

"Lightning, the element of deity. This is the king of all elements, an element from the bright heavens. It symbolizes will, strength, courage, and most importantly, hope. This is the hardest element to master even for someone like myself. You see, this special element can be activated when the user wants to protect something. It can't be used out of greed or the desire to hurt someone." Kliff summarized. "Since you don't know a thing about it YET, I suggest you go to the library downstairs and do some research."

"Yes sir," Ky left the room feeling different. "I guess lightning's not a bad element,"he thought.

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"Lightning, lightning, lightning... there!" Ky said grabbing a book from the shelf. The book had no title but there was a lightning bolt at the top of the spine. It was all old and full of dust as if no one had read it in centuries.

"Weird... it's all dusty," Ky blew across the book hoping to find some words on the first page. The words were hand printed in cursive, unlike the other element books. He turned around to see if anyone else was looking. When the room was clear of people, Ky took the book and went to his room to read it by himself.

"The handwriting... why does it look old?..." Ky deeply thought. The handwriting was nothing like the cursive used today. It was very hard to read like the archaic cursive used ages ago. "Magic was only invented now... so this can't be a very old book... or can it?" Ky thought about his questions and couldn't find a logical answer. Would Kliff be able to answer them? Well, he is old so maybe it was his own handwriting. Ky searched for a blank paper on his desk and picked out a pen. He looked closely at the curved letters as he tried to translate the meaning. The first sentence said: "Lightning is a forbidden magic who chooses it's wielder."

"Chooses it's own wielder..." Ky repeated the words. Technically, an element cannot choose whoever it wants to be given the talent. But... lightning is the king of all elements. So can it?

For hours and hours, Ky gathered information just by translating the book, and he even skipped eating that night. At one point, Ky fell asleep with the pen still in his hand and the ancient book wide open. Kliff peeked into Ky's open door and found the youth asleep on the wooden desk. He peered at Ky's studies and removed the pen from the boy's hands. When he did, he noticed a paper under Ky and read it quietly.

"Where did he get this document??" Kliff gasped.

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**I tried to make it longer!!!!**


	3. Success or Failure

3. **Success or Failure? -**_ The start or the end of brutal training?_

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People would think Ky is the type of person who respects most people, treats everyone kindly, and sleeps without moving at all. All of it is true if you ignore the last part. This was one of the "bad days" if Ky was to name every single day of his life. First, his alarm clock breaks making him late for class adding 20 push-ups to his schedule, then Ky is said to have EXTRA training from Kliff Undersn himself. Now, Ky was constantly plagued with nightmares that evening. After a few toss-and-turns Ky would wake up instantly, sometimes screaming his heart out. If not he would find himself on the floor feeling pain in his back. This wasn't the right way to get energy for brutal training. All of these oddly funny events (if you were there watching him) happened within a period of 6 hours. Just when Ky finally falls asleep (without the nightmares) a loud bang on his door nearly scares the tired knight, almost killing him perhaps.

"Ky! Up and out! Your training starts not a moment too soon!" said Kliff barging in with more than four handfuls of weaponry on his back. From the looks of it, Kliff might've gotten one of the best rests in his entire life. Looking up at his energetic teacher, Ky gave him a look of boredem, not one of his everyday smiles.

"It's not my fault you didn't get enough sleep, laddie... GET UP!!!" with these words Kliff threw the whole batch of gears and weaponry on top of Ky.

"KYAAA!!!!!" Ky instantly got up and landed on the floor once more.

"Okay... Undersn-sama... I'm...up..." as soon as Ky stood up, he simply yawned and landed on his bed sleeping soundly like a little baby.

"Oy... this is going to be harder than I thought..." Undersn sighed. Without warning Ky, Kliff forced Ky to stand up and nearly dragged him out the door. Ky opened his tired eyes and noticed the unrisen curtains.

"Undersn-sama... why are we training while everyone still sleep?. The sun hasn't risen yet..." said Ky with a tone of boredom mixed with tiredness.

"Oh, my dear boy, that's the very definition of training! You get up very early and practice as hard as possible!" Kliff said with much enthusiasm.

"Okay... good point... But not this early!" complained Ky. Kliff and Ky were both arguing within the time they used to get outside. At the moment Ky got outside, almost instantly he lost the will to train. It was pouring rain outside and the ground was all mud (when I say all mud, I mean all mud). Ky's attention was turned to Undersn when he heard the elderly man scrambling for a useful weapon.

"Um.. are you sure we won't get sick being out here for a long time?" Ky asked.

"Nope. Why, when I was your age, I could live in the rain. All I did was train whether it rained or snowed," Undersn said as truthfully as possible. "Now listen up, to activate your 'powers' you must first be able to feel the need to protect yourself. I'm going to hit you continually until you activate the lightning."

"Wait... Hit me? Continually? I need a weapon though right, sir?" Ky said unsure of Kliff's training suggestion.

"No. Just you, and the clothes on your back," Kliff said almost showing a smile of content.

"He has to be kidding..." Ky thought. That's only what he thought, but whatever Kliff said just now, is what Kliff really means to do to Ky.

While Kliff was still searching for a weapon that would hurt as much as possible without totally injuring the opponent, Ky stood still shivering as the rain fell on both of them. Ky looked at his surrounding not expecting Kliff's next move. Out of nowhere, A large wooden club knocked the unaware Ky to the ground.

"Okay, that's how hard I'll hit. If not, harder," Kliff said switching to his serious tone of voice. Ky looked up quite surprised as he tried to catch his breath. That direct hit woud've totally knocked Ky out if Kliff hadn't aimed for the boy's head.

In the next few hours, Kliff beat Ky almost as if it were torture. But we all know Kliff wouldn't kill anyone small and defenseless as Ky. Both couldn't understand why Ky's powers won't activate. It was either Ky was focusing on dodging than on relying on his own human defenses, or he wasn't the chosen one. The sun was about to rise soon and still no sign of lightning. Ky was obviously tired, dirty, and close to dying. Kliff was going to stop for now, but he blindly decided to try once more. The elderly warrior, stored the right amount of energy before unleashing it. Kliff charged at Ky, who had no more energy to dodge anything. Ky saw the blast coming towards him and if he didn't do anything he would've died the moment it hit him.

"Stop!!!" Ky shouted as he used his two arms to block. Just before Kliff attack got too close to Ky, the old man saw something at that very moment. Static-like waves encircled both Ky's arms and disappeared in a few seconds. Both men stared with mouths gaped wide open. From now on, all Ky had to do was to learn how to successfully turn on his powers with him in total command.

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**Thank you for all of your kind comments. I took the summer off, soooo sorry... Anyways, don't worry! Dizzy will appear in the near future. This story might go all the way up to Guilty Gear 2: Overture. **


	4. Rise to Destiny

Well here is the 4th chapter!! You'll see a new character here!!! Please read until the end!

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4. **Rise to Destiny - **_Jam or someone else?_

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How often is it that 1/1000(or more) knights from the Holy Order get chosen to be a successor of Kliff Undersn? Chances are one in a million. Was it luck that Ky was the chosen one? Or perhaps... it was destiny.

After hearing the news that Kliff would finally retire, most knights including Ky were shocked. Undersn was a great leader with such bravery and skill. Who knew a pillar of solid rock could be knocked down by the simple event of age.

"So that's why our training suddenly got more brutal than before..." thought Ky. It's been exactly 2 months since the beginning of Ky's training. Ky was more confident in his lightning powers than ever before. Kliff was certainly a strict teacher to have trained Ky this well.

As the young knight walked outside to catch some fresh air, he thought deeply about his master's future retirement. A new leader would have to fill in Kliff's place. But who? Who was just as charismatic as Kliff himself was?? Ky's question would be answered within a period of one week and three days.

For the next few days, the snow started to fall on the ground. When it clustered into clumps of hard snow, training for everyone was harder than the days of foliage. Leaves were easy to walk on, but snow... Snow was slippery and very cold if anyone were to fall on it. Later that night, Ky was suddenly awoken by several maids.

"Um.. It's 4:30 a.m. in the morning... no one is awake yet..." Ky said rubbing his eyes.

"We have to get you ready, Ky-sama," said one maid abruptly. Without any further delay, all the maids around him grabbed both his arms and forced Ky to get out of bed. They pushed him into a room which Ky couldn't make out at all. All the lights were too dim to see anything. Ky felt hands all around him and soon he found himself naked in a tub of water. He shivered as soon as he felt the touch of water.

"W-why is th-the wa-water so-so c-cold???" Ky stuttered. He couldn't even feel his fingers from the numbing cold water.

"Sorry, Ky-sama, the water pipes got frozen so the water in the whole building is cold," replied a maid as she poured shampoo and several other soaps on Ky's hair. Why were they giving him a bath? It wasn't his birthday or anything. What was the occasion? Minutes later, after Ky was properly dried, the maids started dressing him up in a new uniform. At this point, Ky felt like a toy doll being dressed up by the girls around him. Honestly, it didn't feel good. Ky blushed, but it wasn't long before one maid noticed his completely red cheeks.

"You should be happy! You're getting a promotion!" she said joyfully.

"Promoted?" Ky was utterly confused. Was that it? Was Ky the next leader everyone was waiting for? "It can't be..." Ky thought. He thought there was someone better than Ky who deserved to be a leader. No. Only Ky was the perfect puzzle piece Kliff was looking for. Years ago, some kids outside would play various games. If Ky was made the leader, his team always won. From this early stage, Kliff already knew Ky was the one. When the maids were done dressing him up, Ky looked at himself in the mirror. All he saw, was a young man in an official Holy Order uniform with a long blue cape attatched to his shoulders, and a belt that had the words "Hope" etched on it.

At first Ky wouldn't believe that was his own self. But he was standing in front of a mirror, so that really was Ky's reflection. In the next few minutes, Ky found himself standing inside an enormous room he has never seen before. Kliff was standing in front of him with a long sword in his hands. The sword was beautiful light lapis lazuli color with several large sapphire stones on the handle. Only a skilled knight would feel worthy to even touch the bottom of the sword!

"Ky. This is your new sword. The Fuuraiken," Kliff said with a calm tone of voice. Ky kneeled on the floor to be eye-to-eye with Kliff. Was the whole thing a dream? It was truly real.

"Undersn-sama... I... I don't deserve it," Ky said with his voice shaking. He was trying to stay firm, but the feeling deep down was truly great joy. The pleasure deep down wanted to pop out of Ky.

"Nonsense. Why else would I be here giving it to you? It's yours, and along with this gift, you are now Commander Ky Kiske," Kliff declared happily. With these words, Ky felt like he would die of an early heart attack. He had no other choice but to accept the sword.

The news of Ky's promotion spread quickly throughout the whole world. This sudden news wave made Ky famous within the next few days. Crowds of girls were gathered to get Ky's autographs. In times like these, Ky wished he was never made leader.

"My my... what a large group of young women!" exclaimed Kliff one day. "Is this your fan club, laddie?"

"N-no... I hope not..." Ky said looking outside the window.

"If all this is too much for you, boy, why don't you take a month off? I'll go look for you if there's news of war," Kliff suggest with great honesty.

"Really? I can't Undersn-sama. There's too many duties right now, and I can't leave right away," Ky answered.

"Okay. But I have something that will change your mind," Kliff led Ky into his office to show him yesterday's new paper. The picture on the front was a fairly large Chinese restaurant with Chinese letters as the banner. The words on the top of the photo read "JAM KURADOBERI MAKES CULINARY HISTORY." Ky's mouth dropped open. That was _her_. Without saying a word, Ky immediately grabbed his sword and the key necklace from his childhood. He ran past the crowd of in-love women ignoring the words they said to him. All they really said was "You're sooo cute!!!" or "Marry me!!" It was quite a sight to see.

A few days past until Ky finally made it to China. To his surprise he saw a large group of tightly clustered people with cameras surrounding the restaurant from the newspaper. Ky successfully made his way through the crowd with his sword tightly clutched in his hand. When he came into the clearing, all he saw was a short brown-haired girl in a Chinese waitress uniform. She was obviously the center of attention in the circle.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where Ms. Kuradoberi is?" Ky asked as he came forth to the girl.

"Why, you're looking at her, you totally cute blondie," she said with a wink and a blow kiss. Ky was surprised by her sassy nature and her language. Ky thought Jam was blue haired. But no, this girl was a brunette. Ky's childhood love was more beautiful than a thousand flowers in a flower patch. But this woman wasn't even close to being as pretty as an engagement ring.

"You're not her..." Ky said disappointingly.

"What do you mean?" asked Jam with an annoying tone. She pouted and began to inch closer to Ky to catch his total attention. Ky noticed her and removed the necklace from his neck. He showed it to Jam with his eyes looking away from her. Ky couldn't stand to even look at such a shameless young woman.

"Where did you get this??" Jam said with a serious look on her face. She then grabbed Ky's arm leading him inside the restaurant. Jam shut the sliding door as tight as she could manage to.

"A blue-haired girl gave it to me years ago. I never got her real name since now I know you're not the one I'm looking for," Ky said sternly. Jam pouted again. In Jam's point of view, after seeing someone as young and handsome as Ky would've made any girl long for a boyfriend like him. She could clearly see he wasn't interested in her.

"Okay... But what do you mean a blue-haired girl?" Jam asked directly.

"She's blue-haired. She had a music box that would only open with this key," Ky answered.

"Dizzy..." Jam's voice trailed off.

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**I hope you all liked it. Yes, we are close to meeting Dizzy. THIS IS A KY/DIZZY fanfic!!!!**


	5. Ky and the Chef, the Pirate, and Maniac

5. **Ky and the Chef and the Pirate and the Maniac - **_The people Ky TRIES to avoid_

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Jam stared at Ky with a look that made him think he did something terribly wrong.

"Um.. Is Dizzy the one I'm looking for?" Ky asked trying to start another conversation.

"I guess so..." Jam muttered.

"Where is she?" Ky asked.

"I dunno. I haven't seen her in quite a while," Jam said with a pout.

"But you know her?"

"Duh! She and I were best friends. That was until the war in Spain. Two weeks before the war started, Dizzy didn't come to school anymore. The teacher said that her parents took her to another place. But it can't be possible since Dizzy wasn't a rich girl at all," Jam explained ending with a long sigh. Jam stood up and walked over to a room at the back of the restaraunt. Ky couldn't help but stare at her long bare legs. Her short skirt barely covered her butt and Ky was tempted to take a quick peek. Jam came out of the room with a photo frame in her hands. Walking over to Ky, she let him take a look at the picture. "That's her right?" Jam said.

"Yes... it is..." Ky looked at the photo of young Jam and Dizzy in middle school uniforms.

"But let's skip this subject..." Jam stood from her seat and walked closer to Ky. Jam was certainly going to do something improper to him. Knowing this, Ky stood up and backed up as Jam neared him. She was able to trap him in the corner of a wall. As soon as she was face-to-face with Ky, Jam leaned on him and let her hands wander around Ky's body. Ky looked straight into her hazel eyes. They shone brightly as a pink blush appeared on Jam's cheeks.

"_Wow... She's... so... beautiful..." _Ky let his mind wander as he stared back at the Chinese beauty. He never really got a look at her since he was so full of his business. Now that there face-to-face, Ky wondered how he could turn away from such a pretty face. Before long, Ky felt that Jam was trying to remove his clothes. No matter how much he wanted to run away, Jam's blushing face brought him back into confusion. Soon, Jam was already right on top of Ky and in a very improper position. Ky couldn't stand it anymore. It didn't matter how pretty she was. He was too young for what was about to happen between them. Ky managed to run away outside before Jam could undress him any further. He ran as fast as he could until he found an alley way. Ky sat down to catch his breath and fix his uniform.

"That's it! I have to get out of here!" Ky muttered with an annoyed tone. But before his plan could be put to action... Where was his sword? Ky panicked until he remembered exactly where he put it. The Fuuraiken was right next to him when he was still chatting with Jam. It was still inside the restaurant. Ky sprinted back to the restaurant and stared into the window. It was gone! His sword was missing. Ky turned around, but according to what he saw next, is hard to describe. Jam was standing right in front of him with the Fuuraiken clutched in her hands. The look on her face made Ky feel quite scared.

"Are you looking for this?" Jam asked with an angry tone of voice.

"Y-yes..." Ky stood up but slowly. He was thinking of grabbing it from her, but then again aside from Ky's puerile nature he knew that he shouldn't be rude especially to women.

"You want it back?" Jam asked with a smirk on her face.

"Yes..please," was Ky's simple answer.

"Then you have to stay here for the rest of your life," Jam declared boldly.

"KYAAAA!!!!!!!!" Ky ran for his life as Jam mindlessly swished the sword back and forth. Fast actions must be taken! Without thinking, Ky somehow grabbed his sword from the chef's weak arms and dashed quickly. The young knight hoped Jam wasn't following him, but if only life was easy. Jam sprinted behind him with her fists lighting up with Ki power. Ky felt her next move and dodged to his left side before Jam's attack was even 3 inches away from him. Ky continued to run while Jam stopped and huffed and puffed. The chase was over, and Ky was close to leaving the town. As soon as he came to his senses, Ky remembered one tiny feeling in the bottom of his stomach. He was hungry. He WAS in a Chinese restaurant. Why didn't he eat? Ky slowed down and felt a growing pain in his stomach before hearing it growl at him.

"Food... must... eat...ugh..." Ky was feeling dizzy and everything around him seemed to be doubled. What a sight to see! Ky was now walking in a zig zag pattern, though in his mind he's walking straight. It wasn't long until Ky bumped and almost tripped over somebody little.

"Onii-chan?" said a tiny voice. When the voice reached Ky's ears, he was suddenly in his right mind again and his stomach stopped growling for a moment. Ky turned around and saw a little brunette girl with an orange ribbon that tied her hair in a short ponytail. She wore a Japanese school girl outfit that was neatly ironed and cleaned. She had no expression on her face, but the way her eyes glittered in the faint light of the rain clouds showed excitement with a touch of relief.

"Um.. Hello!" Ky said in a friendly tone. Through his tone of voice, Ky meant that he wanted to be friends with the girl and not hurt her. The two stared at each other for a moment. After the clock passed through the 12 for the first time, the little girl hugged Ky's legs. She was to small to even reach his waist.

"Onii-chan! It's you! It's really You!!" replied the girl happily. Ky looked at her once more and thought deeply about his situation. True, a few weeks before he left, there was a Gear battle in Japan. Perhaps this girl was a survivour. She wasn't related to him because Ky is an only child. Suddenly, Ky felt someone approach them quietly. A murderer was the first thing Ky had on his mind. Quickly, Ky picked up the little girl and clenched his sword tightly. He turned around and pointed the sword to the man in front of him.

"Relax... I'm with the girl," said a gruff voice. A tall rugged man stood nearly an inch away from the tip of Ky's sword. Ky lowered his sword and set the girl down. Instead of hugging the other man's legs, the little girl still hugged Ky as if never wanting to let go.

"Let's go home, May," was the man's command.

"I want Onii-chan to come with us, Johnny," replied the girl. Johnny looked at Ky and noticed how tired Ky looked.

"Okay," Johnny walked away but turned around after a few steps. "You comin', boy?"

"Yes... thank you," Ky answered. He was thankful that he could get shelter for the night. Staying out in the frosty nights of winter was dangerous even for someone as elite as Ky. Johnny led all of them into a forest nearby. It was hard to see through such darkness. Johnny was wearing sun glasses. How could he see? May held onto Ky's hand followed his every movements.

"You got a name, kid?" Johnny said. His words broke the momentary silence that seemed to have lasted for days.

"It's Ky... Ky Kiske," was the knight's reply.

"Heard about you before... the rest of us thought you were an old man to be as good and experiened enough to be the new leader of the Order. Here... I see you're just a little kid," Johnny said grinning and looking back at Ky. Ky didn't like to be refered to as a boy or something as simple as a child. In fact, being addressed this way made Ky feel degraded.

"What may I call you? Mr. Johnny?" Ky asked being polite as possible.

"Names Johnny, kid, that's only what you'll call me," Johnny said resuming to his usual tone of voice. "Anyways.. why are you here and not working? Did old man Undersn kick you out already?"

"No! Absolutely not! I'm here because... because... um..." Ky thought awkwardly for a moment.

"Undersn probably wanted the place to himself before you take over," Johnny insisted.

"Probably..." Ky's voice trailed off into long silence that lasted for almost 3 minutes. The trio walked deeper into the forest and the trees got shadier and almost completely blocked the light of the moon. Before long, a flickering light shone in the distance.

"We're here," Johnny said with a tone of relief. Johnny pushed away some branches in their way and revealed what was on the other side, an enormous air ship that was landed on the ground. Ky stopped and stared at it in amazement. All the cannons on the ship were heavily armed with bombs, the sides of the ship had what looked like smaller cannons that fired quick bullets.

"Hey Ky! C'mere," Johnny shouted a few feet away. Ky followed behind Johnny. "I want you to meet everyone. We're called the Jellyfish Pirates. The whole crew is named after the months except for yours truly."

"The crew... they're all... females," Ky whispered in Johnny's ear.

"Yes! They are! And they're beautiful young ladies right?" Johnny said laughing. "This ain't a problem, no?"

"No no no!! it's not..." Ky said looking at the row of women. He stared blankly at the huge woman holding a spatula. It looked like she could simply crush a human with ease by accidently tripping on them. As this was happening, a very embarassing sound made Ky blush. _Rawr..._was all Ky's stomach uttered.

"Ah... you're hungry?" Johnny said messing up Ky's hair with a noogie.

"Nnn..." Ky blushed and put an arm over his stomach.

"Okay... we're having lunch. It think that its going to rain too," Johnny motioned for everyone to go back into the ship.

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For dinner... was a simple dish of hamburgers. Ky examined the meal on his plate and wondered what to do with it. Johnny and the others were munching away happily. Ky picked up a fork and tried to poke it. Nothing happened.

"Uh... kid?" Johnny looked confusingly at Ky. He had the what-in-the-world-are-you-doing face on.

"How do I eat this?" Ky asked quietly making sure the chef didn't hear a thing.

"Okay, you pick it up with both hands and you bite on it, then you chew it after that, you swallow it. Then you'll need to use the bathroom tomorrow," Johnny explained taking another bite.

"I've... never had a hamburger," Ky honsetly spoke. Johnny almost spit and then roared with laughter. "What?" was Ky's simple answer to Johnny's action.

"What are you!?! French!?!" Johnny continued to roar with laughter.

"Err... yes," Ky answered back. Johnny stared at him blankly and quieted hiimself suddenly.

"Ai... that's a problem..." Johnny said. "Just do what everyone else is doing." After much contemplation, Ky finally decided to take a bite. The moment he did... he was in dreamland. Ky stared at the hamburger with wondering puppy eyes.

"So... good..." Ky wanted to take his time eating it. This was his first time munching on a delectable burger.

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For the next few days, Ky was stranded with the Jellyfish Pirates. The rain wouldn't stop from the past two days which resulted in a flood. A day after that, it started snowing making the floodwaters into solid ice. For hours it snowed and piled up until it reached up to everyone's knees.

"Snow!!!" May squealed and made a snowball.

"Mr. Johnny... what is May alone?" Ky asked watching May create a small pile of snowballs ready to throw.

"Her parents died in the attack in Japan. She had a brother who was with her in the orphanage. During the second Gear attack, several Gears attacked the orphanage. Kyou died while trying to save May. May wouldn't talk for a few days afterwards. I took her with me, so now she has us as a family. If Kyou was alive, he would've been as old as you. He looks like you too," Johnny looked up into the cloudly sky as the slightly heavy snow covered the white ground. Ky kept silent. This was until Ky felt a cold snowball that knocked him to the ground. He laid there half-unconscious.

"She... throws... HARD..." Ky laid there freezing. Johnny roared with laughter.

"She cam pick up an anchor y'know..." Johnny said.

"Err... I'm going to get fire wood, I'll be back," Ky stood up and made his way toward the nearby woods.

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"Wow... the snow is deep..." Ky tried to make his way through the snow. As soon as he spotted wood Ky tried to make his way to it. Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound coming from behind. Ky turned around and saw a freakishly tall figure with a paper bag on his head. Ky stared and ran away screaming his head off.

"Maniac!!!! Maniac chasing me!!!!" Ky ran tripping on the snow constantly. Several loose branches from bushes or uprooted trees slowed Ky down. And yes, the maniac was still chasing him. He was yelling at Ky, but Ky couldn't tell what he was saying.

Ky came into a clearing with a mound of snow in the middle. The maniac with the paperbag held a newly sharped scalpel in his long slender arms.

"Please... go away!" Ky slowly retreated backward.

"No!!! Don't step backward!! Stop!!! STOP!!!" the maniac called. Ky didn't listen instead he stepped backward faster with terrified eyes.

"STOP!!!!! STOP!!!" The maniac move forward causing Ky to make a heavy step to try and run again. Instead, something below his feet cracked. Ky froze in his steps just hearing the sound of cracking ice.

"AAAAHHHH!!!!!" Ky fell into the hole in the thin ice. The snow on it hasn't frozen completely. Ky felt the bitter cold of freezing water all around him. Ky tried to swim up but the cold paralyzed him. Ky passed out...

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**"Oh no, Ky!!!" - Must be what you're all saying Thank you for the reviews!! I really appreciate them!! Thank you also for the reviews in Shiroi Fuyu and Synchronicity!! **

**And also... Please pay attention to Orika's little poem **

Love is like a long journey  
I kept searching to find you  
I won't...  
I won't stop until I see you again...  
You are the Angel of my life  
I know if I see you  
I'll finally see Heaven...

-Orika.

**I really admired Orika's little poem Please give her your thanks if she posts wonderful lines on your stories. Thank you very much!! **


	6. An Unexpected Twist

6. **An Unexpected Twist - **_Ky Is Without the Fuuraiken_

* * *

Ky weakly opened his eyes and let out a painful moan. With his eyes half-open, he glanced at the fireplace that stood several feet in front of him. Ky tried to sit up but failed when the wait of so many thick blankets forced him to lie on his back.Once more he tried to lift his weak body, but he was stopped by a long hand.

"You must rest..." said the stranger quietly. Ky's eyes widened when he recognized the figure as the odd man with the paper bag on his head. Fortunately, the paper bag was still on the man's head.

"I... wai... umm..." Ky tried his best to utter a few words from his mouth, but the bitter cold from the icy water made his lips feel numb and his body paralyzed. The boy obeyed the stranger before him and tried to clear his half-conscious mind.

"You temperature is 101 degrees Fareheit, just so you know," the man said removing a syringe from his doctor's bag. The paper-bagged man poked the needle of the syringe into Ky's arm and filled half the bottle with his blood. "If you don't mind, I'm going to take this into my office. While your alone, please try to stand and walk a few paces." With these quick words, the doctor walked away leaving Ky alone in the dimly lit room.

"Where... am I?" was all Ky could whisper to himself. After taking a few deep breaths, Ky sat up properly with his back and shoulders aching at his sudden movements. He might've hit the wall of ice when he fell into the waters below which answers the question of why he had so many bruises on his neck and shoulders. Ky took a few seconds to collect himself and try to stand. He managed to stand up slowly, and he obeyed the doctor's orders momentarily. Ky limped over to the doctor's office which was three doors away from the room he was previously in. Ky wearily knocked on the freakishly tall door preventing himself from falling on his knees. The door opened and there stood the 6 to 7 feet tall doctor with a testube in his hands.

"Come in lad..." The doctor resumed to his crouching position where he stood about as tall as Ky. Ky gulped and limped into the room wincing at each step he took. The doctor motioned for Ky to sit on the cushioned chair next to his desk. Ky listened and dropped his body on the flat cushion.

"Your... name... sir??" Ky said breathing heavily.

"I'm sure you know that... Ky Kiske," the doctor said taking a seat in his own chair. Ky gasped and looked straight at the odd doctor.

"Doctor... Baldhead??" Ky managed to utter the name of the mysterious man, but he wanted to ask only so many questions that quickly filled his head.

"Ky... You look just like your father," Doctor Baldhead said finally removing the bag from his head revealing big goggles over eyes and the shiny head of a hairless adult. "How are your eyes?"

"They're... fine..." Ky said blinking twice.

"Can you see in color now?" Baldhead asked looking deeply into the boy's lapis lazuli eyes. All Ky could do was nod his head up and down slowly.

"Thank you..." Ky whispered.

"I remember when your father and Master Undersn took you to my doctor's office years ago. They said you lost your sight for colors when you went with them to Italy. Your father said you were so happy to finally see Holy Knights up close in the base camp. You also got carried away and ran into a Gear there," Baldhead paused and looked to Ky who had his eyes toward the floor. "The Gear blinded you didn't it? You said you could only see black and white. Nothing but the two colors. You missed so much in your childhood being partially blind. I'm glad your okay now."

"Thank you... for operating on me..." Ky said looking up to his medical hero.

"You can leave now, Ky. Gears will arrive here in three hours. They come here to feed on the animal that hunt at night. There is a Holy Order base camp not far from here. It's an hour walk if you don't stop. But I warn you... This part of the forest is called the Devil's Hiding Place. Do not use your real name here otherwise demons will posses you. You can't stay here in your current condition," Baldhead helped Ky stand from the chair.

"But... why is it not safe here?" Ky said scared of limping out alone in the dead of night.

"This is the first place they come to. They'll smell your blood since I just tested it in my office. If one happens to bite you... use this..." Baldhead handed to Ky a syringe filled with a clear liquid. Gears in this area leave infections in humans, you're not immune to their injections so I made an antidote for you. If the infections stays inside you for only two minutes, you'll start bleeding from your eyes, nose, and mouth for an hour until you die; however, poke the tip of these syringes into your neck or chest and you'll be fine. Understand?"

"Yes.." Ky felt his heart race wildly while the thought of bleeding to death crossed his unprepared mind.

--

Ky bid his doctor farewell and limped into the forest with fear in his heart. He walked continously for several minutes before he realized his sword was still with the Jellyfish Pirates. Ky panicked and wanted to turn back. He knew that he had to get to a safe place fast or a single Gear bite will end his life. The injured boy was trapped in fear and the constant touches of pain. He did not know what to do anymore if Gears happened to reach him before he gets to the camp. Dr. Baldhead sent him out so quickly that his minor but painful wounds had little time to heal. Ky continued to walk straight ahead without his beloved sword and nothing but his cold uniform on his body.

The snow remained deep and slowed Ky down. With many uprooted trees and blocks of snow in Ky's way, his one hour journey became an extended two hour trip through the Devil's Hiding Place. Ky lost track of time before the sound of screeching Gears echoed in the snowy air. Ky's heart skipped a beat as he quickened his pace. His eyes widened with pure fear as he tried to run with his seriously bruised leg. But everything happened too quickly. Not even seconds passed before three insect-like Gears came running into him with their claws and fangs sharpened. Ky was knocked to the ground as they slashed through his skin and clothing. Ky winced in pain and mindlessly shot a lightning bolt into the one directly on top of him. Luckily, it hit and the Gear was thrown into a nearby tree from the sudden shock of a powerful lightning bolt. Ky kicked the other two away and stood up with lightning crackling around his arms. The Gears stood back up as if Ky's attacks were nothing to them. Ky charged towards the Gears with lightning all around his body. Two Gears jumped away leaving one getting seriously hit by Ky's Ride the Lightning. It was certainly hard to fight without his sword. The rest of the Gears above him screeched and dashed down into Ky. Ky quickly dodged their claws and threw a lightning spear into the back of one. The Gear was electricuted with blue lightning before burning up and turning into ash. Ky landed on the ground with a feeling of success. But as he turned around, the remaning two Gears rushed forward and slahed Ky's chest cutting the chain of the key necklace that he wore. Ky didn't notice that the necklace had fallen from him as he continued to charge forward. Ky blasted another Gear with a powerful Sacred Edge that burned the Gear on contact. With only one more to go, Ky took deep breaths before turning to attack his final opponent. Unfortunately, the Gear had a head start and leaped on top of Ky biting the boy hard on his neck. Ky screamed in pain and tried to push the Gear away. With all his strength, he obliterated the Gear with one more Sacred Edge with the burning body of the Gear on top of him. The front of his torn uniform was partially charred when he kicked it off him. The stench of burning bodies filled the air and made Ky dizzy from the fumes. Ky coughed hard until he noticed blood on the hands that covered his mouth. Ky gasped and felt blood coming out of his nose. Ky hurriedly searched for the antidote that was given to him only to find if crushed a few feet away from the body of a Gear. Ky fell on his knees and passed out at the sight of blood streaming from his tear ducts.

--

Meanwhile, the civilians from the nearby town were curious where the smell of burning flesh came from. The streaks of lightning that were once flashing in the forest disappeared as well as the high pitched screaming of the insect Gears. The knomes and dwarf elves in the town went about searching for torches and pitchforks before venturing out into the dead of the wintery evening. As the regular 'towns-creatures' prepared to searcg for the source of the burning smell, two others escaped the crowd and took a shortcut into the forest.

"Hurry up! We might get caught!" shouted a young female dwarf elf to her partner. The elf turned around and waited for her slow companion, a teenaged blind girl wearing a light blue-white dress and yellow ribbons in her long blue hair.

"I'm really trying to hurry. Please hold on, Kimi," replied the girl feeling her surroundings. The elf scoffed and took her partner by the hand leading her away deeper into the forest.

"Dizzy, hurry! Hurry!" The two quickened their pace and finally reached the clearing. Kimi slowed down and let go of Dizzy's hand.

"Whoa... the Gears burned up..." Kimi had her mouth gaped wide open. Dizzy walked around the clearing to check if the Gears' bodies were not fully turned into ashes.

"Kimi, are the Gears still-- Ah!" Dizzy tripped on an object in the snowy ground. She landed on something soft instead of the cold ground. Dizzy ran her hands slowly on the object in front of her and recognized it as a person.

"Kimi!! Someone's here!!" Dizzy called out. Kimi ran over to her and looked at the injured boy in front of them. "He's still breathing!"

"Yikes! He got bitten! Let's take him into the village quickly!!" Kimi panicked and Dizzy felt around the ground to see if the stranger had any personal belongings on the ground next to him. Dizzy ran her hands through the snow and felt a broken chain on the floor. Later she felt a key at the end of the broken chain.

"_Maybe it's his house key..." _Dizzy thought. She picked it up and placed it in the pocket of her hooded cloak.

"Dizzy... help!... should I drag him instead??" Kimi tried picking the knight up onto her back, but it was no use.

"Um... we'll carry him back!! Hurry! I can hear the rest of the village coming here!" Dizzy rushed to help Kimi take the survivor away before the other dwarves and elves came to take him instead.

"You think they'll let us keep him?" Kimi asked.

"He's not a pet!" Dizzy snapped back.

"No! I mean will they let him stay until he heals?"

"Oh... I hope so..." Dizzy and Kimi hurried to town with their 'pet' losing blood pretty fast.

**It's long because I wanted to rush the time when Ky meets Dizzy!! Lolz... I have a feeling this is going to be a REALLY long story!**

**Btw, Orika, make more of the poems and I'll add ALL of them into one long poem at the end of this story!! If you like vampires, I have a vampire Guilty Gear story called "Synchronicity"**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please R&R until the end! Thank you so much for the reviews!**


	7. The Blind Village Girl

7. **Does the Search End Here? - **_The Blind Village Girl_

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Ky weakly opened his eyes to find himself staring at a wooden ceiling. The sun rays softly passed through the translucent curtains that hung against the fragile windows. He slowly and painstakingly turned his bandaged body to the right. A few short cabinets rested against the wall a few inches away from the door. The cabinets had glass panels as doors so that its contents could be seen from the outside. The first cabinet had a miniature library of thick books and maps. The second shelf contained relics and collectibles that belonged to the owner of the large tree house which he was currently residing in. The third shelf really caught his attention . . . aside from the numerous piles of organized papers and study guides, a familiar little music box lay in the midst of the piles of papers.

"That's . . ." Ky was unsure whether not he was delusional. His mind must have been playing tricks on him. Suddenly, the knob on the oak door wiggled as a young, blue-haired girl walked into the room. Ky remained quiet as his eyes rested upon his visitor.

"You are awake . . . how are you feeling?" the girl spoke softly. She turned around to face the young knight on the bed. Ky made no reply. He looked straight into her eyes and noticed that she had no pupil and a pale gray-blue eye color. She was blind.

"Excuse me . . . are you okay?" the girl spoke again with her hands folded on top of each other.

"Um . . . yes . . . I'm fine," Ky simply replied. Bizarrely he waved his arm in front of her to see if she was really blind. She made no gesture to his absurd action, so Ky figured she was really blind. "You're blind, Miss?"

"Oh um . . . Yes. I cannot see you . . ." The girl replied.

"Then, how is it that you don't need to walk around this room with a cane or a stick?"

"I know this house very well. Do you feel any pain?"

"No I don't . . . but, how did you know I was awake?"

"I heard you breathing. Your breathing pattern sounded different when you were sleeping, so I figured you were awake," the girl said smiling. Ky could not help but be curious of his "nurse" is she indeed was the one taking good care of him.

"How long have I been here, Miss?"

"We found you yesterday . . . it looked like you got attacked. My friend and I took you here."

"Gears . . ." Ky said appallingly. He tried hard to remember the events of the previous battle. Everything was a blur.

"You . . . You hate Gears?" the girl said taking a few steps closer to the boy.

"Hate them? If only there was a higher degree for the word 'hate.' Maybe 'despise' is the right word to describe them. 'I despise them'."

"Despise . . . I . . . Maybe I should go . . ." the girl hurriedly rushed to the door, but before she could make it out of the room, Ky called out to her.

"Hold on, Miss . . . What is your name?"

"My name . . . you don't need to-"

"I want to know," Ky said taking a long glance at her. She slowly turned her head to face him.

"My name is Dizzy . . . what is yours?"

"Ky. Ky Kiske. It's nice to meet you, Miss Dizzy," Ky said politely. Dizzy frowned and left the room. Ky rested his head against the pillow. Where was he? Was anyone looking for him?

---

_Downstairs . . ._

Dizzy walked slowly down the stairs, mentally counting each step she took. As soon as she made it to the bottom floor, she was greeted by Kimi.

"Dizzy!! How is he!?! Is he dead!?!" little Kimi said screaming.

"He's okay . . ." Dizzy smiled.

"Dizzy, he can't stay here. He's from the Holy Order. He might attack us because we're not humans," said and old gnome standing next to her. "To him, we're just unusual little creatures. He'll laugh at us and think that we're an abomination."

"Yes sir . . ." Dizzy replied as she made her way to the kitchen. Dinner was to be served in a few minutes, and it was her turn to prepare it. As she chopped the vegetables carefully for the soup, Ky's words repeated over and over again in her head . . . "_I despise them"_ . . . She tightly closed her eyes and held on the key pendant that rested on the necklace around her neck. It was the necklace she found lying on the battle-worn area that they found Ky in. _"I'll return it to him later . . ."_ she thought.

---

Ky tried hard to fall asleep again. Luckily, the most sleep that he got that afternoon was fifteen minutes. At least it was better than no sleep at all. The pain grew all over his body, and soon it became hard for him to lift his arms. He did not acknowledge how many hours had passed until he noticed that the room got darker. A knock was heard on the door, and Dizzy entered the room with a tray of food in her arms.

"Um excuse me . . ." Dizzy paused when she heard him trying to stand up. "No! You mustn't!!" Dizzy placed the tray on the desk nearby and rushed to Ky's side. She placed one hand on his while her other hand rested on his shoulder. Both felt an awkward rush when both their hands touched. It felt so familiar.

_"A blue-haired girl gave it to me years ago. I never got her real name since now I know you're not the one I'm looking for," Ky said sternly. Jam pouted again. In Jam's point of view, after seeing someone as young and handsome as Ky would've made any girl long for a boyfriend like him. She could clearly see he wasn't interested in her._

_"Okay... But what do you mean a blue-haired girl?" Jam asked directly._

_"She's blue-haired. She had a music box that would only open with this key," Ky answered._

_"Dizzy..." Jam's voice trailed off._

_Jam stared at Ky with a look that made him think he did something terribly wrong._

_"Um.. Is Dizzy the one I'm looking for?" Ky asked trying to start another conversation._

_"I guess so..." Jam muttered . . . _

"It's . . . y-you . . ." Dizzy said as light tears streamed from her eyes. Ky looked back at her as his breathing accelerated. Without hesitation, he pulled the girl to his chest, and when they fell back unto the bed, he landed a kiss on her soft lips. Despite all the pain he felt in his limbs, Ky knew it was totally worth it. Dizzy did not try to lift herself up since Ky was on top of her. She wanted this to happen. Ky held her hand tightly as the two enjoyed a short kiss.

"You have no idea how long I've been looking for you," Ky said resting his head on her chest. "I looked everywhere for you."

"Ky . . . You still remembered that?" Dizzy said hugging Ky tightly.

"Of course . . ." Ky whispered into her ears.

"I want to see you again . . . I really want to see you . . ." Dizzy cried as tears trickled down her cheeks. Ky lifted her pale hand to his cheek.

"You're hands are so warm," Ky said closing his eyes. "I missed you."

"I didn't think you'd find me,"

"Let's start over, right here," Ky said softly as he kissed her lips again. Dizzy couldn't help but be happy. However, one thing kept her apart from Ky . . .

"_Gears . . ." Ky said appallingly. He tried hard to remember the events of the previous battle. Everything was a blur._

"_You . . . You hate Gears?" the girl said taking a few steps closer to the boy._

"_Hate them? If only there was a higher degree for the word 'hate.' Maybe 'despise' is the right word to describe them. 'I despise them'."_

_

* * *

_

**Here it is! The long-awaited chapter ^_^ sorry it took a WHILE. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!**


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